Rios, Diaz Score Stoppages on Saturday Night

Ringside Photos and Article by German Villasenor

Super featherweight Ronny Rios, 19-0 (9), had all he could handle in the early rounds against the always game David Rodela, 16-7-3 (7), in Telefutura’s “Solo Boxeo” main event (promoted by Golden Boy), managing to get the stoppage after nine very tough rounds on Saturday night at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

Fighting for the first time in a 10-round outing, Santa Ana, California’s Rios, the shorter man, would land two-to-one punches throughout the fight, countering well and landing the better combinations. Rios was no doubt a step ahead of the uppercut and body punching-happy Rodela.

Rios was unable to hurt or stop Rodela’s advances early in the fight, as body and quick head shots and jabs accumulated points while Rodela, who took the fight on 10 days’ notice, walked through everything his opponent dished out.

Rodela was content to bang it out on the inside, giving Rios all kinds of problems, as the undefeated fighter needed to counter often to regain the strategic advantage as the fight went into the mid-rounds.

Rios began separating himself from Rodela clearly in the fifth, as he would get a rhythm going, landing hooks to the head, pushing Rodela backward. Rios systematically slowed down and broke down Rodela over the next couple of rounds, despite a last solid outing by Rodela in the seventh, matching Rios punch-for-punch in the stanza.

Rodela, who actually retired after his last fight, a KO stoppage to Terence Crawford, gave it his all, ultimately getting caught and battered against the ropes. Unable to properly defend himself, Rodela forced referee Jerry Cantu to step in and call off the fight at 1:14 of the ninth round.

After the fight, Rodela claimed to have suffered an ear injury which threw off his balance.

Diaz Stops Aurad in Five

Former two-time lightweight world champion Julio “The Kidd” Diaz, 39-7 (28), returned to action in his backyard after more than 12 years, taking on Colombian Henry “Mamba” Aurad, 14-5-1 (11).

In his welterweight debut, the Coachella resident displayed the much better skills, foot movement and sharp, power shots in dominating a flat-footed, tough but outgunned Aurad throughout the fight.

Diaz, who last saw action back in May of last year, losing via KO against highly rated Kendall Holt, really needed to worry about Aurad’s right hand, as the Colombian pawed with his jab and stepped forward without any sort of lateral movement. Diaz easily outboxed Aurad from the perimeter, landing in combinations through the first couple of rounds.

Diaz showed very good head movement in the second frame as Aurad threw in disorganized fashion, throwing wide shots. A quick right hand by Diaz to the jaw dropped Aurad late in the third round but the Colombian was largely unfazed.

Despite his longer reach, Aurad refused to box from the distance, getting nailed at the onset of the fourth and getting staggered often through the round. Uppercuts, hooks and body shots had the crowd chanting “Julio! Julio!” as Diaz battered his foe against the ropes and center ring, sending the Aurad all but out back to his corner at the bell.

Sensing the end, Diaz jumped all over Aurad in the fifth, landing a huge right hand, a left and another right. As Aurad went down face-first, referee Eddie Hernandez called the fight off at :54 into the round.

Osuna Destroys Hunter in One

In other results, local middleweight Angel Osuna, 9-3-1 (5), was too much for Eddie Hunter, 5-9-2 (2), dropping him in midway into the first round after switching to the southpaw stance with referee Jerry Cantu immediately calling off the fight at 2:00 of the round.

In other results, southpaw super lightweight William Williams, 5-1 (3), sent Kenny Williams, 3-1-1 (1), down at the end of the first round with a right/straight left combination. In the second round, a non-stop volley of punches by William had Kenny in all sorts of trouble in the second round before referee Eddie Hernandez, seeing enough, called it a night at 1:37 of the round.